Player Spotlight: Sidra Triplett, L.D. Bell
Sport: Volleyball
Class: 2016
Position: Middle Blocker
Her story: Triplett, a second team all-district selection last season, enters her final year as a Lady Raider looking to help Bell bounce back after finishing fifth in District 7-6A with a 19-21 record, 3-9 in district play. “We are in one of the toughest districts in the state, but we feel if we keep working hard, we have a great chance for a playoff spot,” Bell coach Vickie Griffin said. Triplett has been on the Bell varsity for the past two years and playing volleyball for the past seven. She also throws shot put and discus, but chose and stuck with volleyball because of family and her cultural background, as half of her family is from the Marshall Islands. “Volleyball was highly played in my family. When I realized I was actually good at it, I started taking it more serious,” she said. The two people she most looks up to are her brother, Albert, and Chiaka Ogbogu, who plays at Texas. Entering her final year in high school, Triplett has a few college interests, including UT-Arlington, Houston and Missouri State, where she plans to major in pre-med to become a pediatrician. Her favorite volleyball memory thus far came last season when the Lady Raiders played Richland on senior night. Once Bell won in four games, the entire student section stormed the court from the bleachers. “Everyone was crying with joy, even Coach Griffin. It was just a really touching moment and those are the moments I live for,” Triplett said.
Fun fact: “Most people don't know I actually was into gymnastics before I started playing volleyball,” Triplett said.
She said: “Last season was a struggle in relation to who was in our district, but that didn't keep us from hustling. My team put as much work in as the other teams. Because of the loss of so many seniors, I hope to see some incoming freshman/sophomores willing to put in that extra work because I don't want to play catch-up during the upcoming season.”
- Brian Gosset, bgosset@star-telegram.com
This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Player Spotlight: Sidra Triplett, L.D. Bell."